When it comes to canning, there’s always more to discover – regardless of your level of expertise. Whether you’re an experienced canner or just starting out, it’s essential to know which foods aren’t suitable for this preservation method. In fact, some foods that are off-limits for canning can be preserved using other effective methods. To ensure a safer and more enjoyable canning experience, it’s crucial to understand what not to can.
Here’s a comprehensive list of foods that shouldn’t be preserved through canning:
What Not to Can
Fats
When it comes to canning, it’s essential to avoid including high-fat foods in your preserved goods. Foods like lard, oil, and mayonnaise should be excluded from your list. These types of ingredients have a tendency to turn rancid more quickly than other shelf-stable foods due to their significant fat content.
Furthermore, the thicker consistency of these foods can create challenges during the canning process.
The heat involved in this process may struggle to penetrate every layer evenly, leaving room for bacteria to form and potentially leading to botulism and mold contamination issues.
Dairy
When it comes to food preservation, some groups are best avoided altogether. One such group is dairy products. While some may successfully home-canning milk from their own livestock, the process is still not recommended.
Dairy foods have a natural tendency to spoil faster than other shelf-stable foods, and their thicker consistency can lead to concerns about bacteria forming in the jar and not being thoroughly sterilized during the preserving process due to the heat’s inability to penetrate each layer effectively. As such, it’s best to avoid canning the following dairy products: butter, milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, and buttermilk.
Grains
While it’s natural to assume that grains are a safe bet for canning due to their dry nature, this assumption is unfortunately misguided. In reality, canning grains can be counterproductive and even dangerous. The primary issue with canning grains is that heating them destroys the nutrients and drastically shortens their shelf life. Moreover, when heated, grains will rapidly turn rancid and have a significantly reduced lifespan.
Furthermore, grains don’t retain heat well, which means the inner layers may not reach the necessary temperature to kill bacteria. This poses a significant risk of ingesting contaminated food and falling ill. Grains that fall into this category include oats, wheat, barley, rice, bread, noodles, pasta, crackers, biscuits, and pie dough.
Notably, some of these items, such as noodles, pasta, bread, and crackers, will break down quickly under heat and become an inedible mush, defeating the purpose of preserving them in the first place.
Thickeners
Thickeners are a common addition to various recipes, aimed at achieving a desired consistency. Examples include cornstarch, tapioca, arrowroot, cornmeal, and flour. However, when these ingredients are incorporated into canning recipes and subjected to extreme heat during processing, they tend to break down, resulting in an unappealing texture.
When preparing syrups, it’s generally recommended to leave them at a thinner consistency. Once the syrup is complete, preserve it as usual.
When you’re ready to enjoy your product, open the can and pour the contents into a saucepan. At this point, you can add any desired thickener to achieve the perfect texture for your taste buds.
This approach not only preserves the integrity of your food but also allows for flexibility in serving the final product at the desired consistency.
These Vegetables
While canning vegetables is an excellent way to preserve your harvest and enjoy fresh produce during colder months, it’s essential to know that not all veggies can be canned. In fact, there are certain vegetables that shouldn’t be subjected to the canning process. These include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, summer squash, olives, lettuce, and artichokes.
However, if you do want to can these vegetables, it’s crucial to pickle them first as they can become mushy and change color otherwise. On the other hand, some veggies like brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, summer squash, and olives can be preserved via canning if pickled. To ensure your canned vegetables retain their integrity, you must understand which ones can handle the process of canning and which are better off being pickled.
Nuts
While nuts may seem like a sturdy option for canning, they actually pose a unique challenge due to their outer layer of oil. This oily coating is too thick for the canning process to effectively penetrate and destroy all bacterial and mold spores, making it a risk for botulism to hide. Unlike other foods that may visibly spoil, the signs of botulism are often difficult to detect, leaving consumers unaware until symptoms appear.
As such, when experts advise against preserving certain foods via canning due to this very issue, it’s crucial to take their guidance seriously and avoid the risk of illness.
Refried Beans
While it’s tempting to preserve refried beans through canning, the thicker consistency of these beans poses a challenge for ensuring all mold and bacteria spores are eliminated during the process. As a result, it’s not advisable to rely on canning as a preservation method. Instead, consider cooking large batches of beans in a crock pot and freezing them. This way, you can easily thaw and reheat refried beans as needed, even if it requires a bit more effort than simply opening a jar.
The added peace of mind that comes with knowing your food is safe to eat makes the extra step worthwhile.
Purees
When it comes to pureed foods, such as those made with refried beans, a common concern is that they can be challenging to safely can at home due to their thick consistency. During the heating process, there’s no guarantee that all mold and bacteria spores will be eliminated, which poses a risk for spoilage or contamination. A safer approach might be to freeze the pureed vegetables for future use, preserving their texture and nutrients in the process.
Alternatively, you can preserve larger chunks of the vegetable by canning, allowing it to maintain its natural shape while still being shelf-stable.
Pickled Eggs
In my community, pickled eggs are a staple. While some of you may be experienced home canners, it’s crucial to note that not all recipes have been thoroughly tested for their effectiveness in eliminating bacteria and preserving the food’s texture after canning. The items on this list are included because they don’t meet these standards. Similarly, pickled eggs find themselves on this list due to their thickness.
This characteristic makes it challenging for heat to penetrate every layer of the food, a crucial step in killing off bacteria and mold spores. As a result, we advise against attempting to pickle eggs at home.
Meat
While some may be surprised by the inclusion of canned meat on this list, it’s essential to note that commercial canners possess skills and equipment not typically available at home. As a result, it’s crucial to recognize the limitations of home canning methods when dealing with oily outer casings like those found in most meats or fish. The oil’s presence hinders heat penetration, making it difficult to ensure the destruction of all bacteria and mold.
While some may have been lucky enough to successfully can these items without issue, it’s crucial to reconsider which foods are suitable for home preservation. If you do decide to continue preserving foods from this list through canning, be sure to keep this information readily available in case any issues arise. Early detection and treatment are key components in combating botulism poisoning.
As an advocate for home canning, I recognize the importance of balancing a passion with safety considerations. Knowledge is a powerful tool that can benefit both personal and professional pursuits, including our kitchen endeavors.
